Can puncturing device



9 w. E. SNOWDEN CAN PUNC'IURING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1941 INVENTOR w. E. Snowden ATTORNEY) w. E.- SNQWDEN CAN PUNC'I'URING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FILE. Snbwden A TTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1943 Nl TE D STAT -ES- Y PATEN T "O F- IFI cs -can PUNCTURINGDEVICE Ward E. Snowden, Modesto, C alif a'ssi'giior to Ansul Chemical Company of California, a; corporation of California lnisiication'mayz, 1e41, serial-Ne. 391567 3'Claims. -(1c1. zen-23) This invention relates in geiieral 'to a' can supportin I and puncturing device.

At the present time detain gaseous materials which are used as produce fumigant's are distributed to the trade in sealed, "relatively Smallsize'can's, and these iriaterials'are under relatively high pressures in'thefc'an's; one 'of'su'ch mate- :rials being methyl bromide. In "order to effectively I and "safely puncture a "can er such pressure fluid material and uis dhafg eislich fluid into a produce chamber to be fuini'g'at'ed, it 'is necessary'toeinploy a device especially designed for 'this use.

It is therefore the present'object or this invention to provide a unique jsevice -to support and puncture a sealed canfille d with a pres'surefiuid, and to immediately thereafter direct the discharge of the pressure 'fluid 'cori't'ent's to 'a selected point. L h k I v i Afur'the'r object of the invention is to 'provi'de'a can supporting, puncturing, and pressure fluid discharging device is adapted for "onehand operation; the device mending a 515601 grip type handle andan operating trigger 'as'o- E ciated with said handle. I 1

A still further object of the invention is'to'provide locked but releasable holding means to maintain the can in engagement with the puncturing tube and sealing collar after the can puncturing operation has been accomplished.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of the device with a can supported thereon, and prior to puncturing of the can.

Figure 2 is a similar view partly in section but after puncturing of the can.

Figure 3 is a, rear end view of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the device comprises an elongated frame or body I', preferably of T form in section, having a pistol type grip 2 formed with and depending from one end thereof. The body is slotted vertically at the end adjacent grip 2, as indicated at S, and this slot extends into the upper end portion of the f ripf'o'r ashortdi'st'ance. is full le'ngth trigg'er 3 a crosspin l; a, substantial p ortionof'the periphery of such locking eccentric bein'gexpp's'ed. at the rear end of the device and accessible for rolling movement by the thumb of a persons hand, which engages grip 2. The face of eccentric 6 is of substantial width andis knurled to assure proper frictional engagement with the rear edge of finger 5, and when'theeccentric is rolled into engagement with said' edge of the finger the center of jweight of said'ecjientricurges the latter in a locking direction. Aistdppin 8 projects laterally from one side o'f the locking eccentrie and engages the back of grip '2 hearse the slot 'when the eccentric is in'relea'sdjpo'sition, and assufes that it is hel din proper est ti'odto be rolled into locking engagemmwith finger'5. I a I a At the end etasaegnp 2, body l "is "formed with an upstanding boss 9 -through "which abanpuncturing tube l0 extends at an upward and outward slope. One end of the can puncturing tube projects rearwardly some distance from boss 9, and is beveled and sharpened to form a diagonal cutting lip H. A resilient and compressible sealing collar l2, preferably of rubber, surrounds the rearwardly projecting portion of the can puncturing tube, and is initially of substantially the same length as such projecting portion of the tube, At the end opposite cutting lip l I, and at the forward end of boss 9, the tube II] communicates with a fitting l3 threaded into the boss. A relatively long but small diameter discharge pipe I4 is attached to and projects from such fitting.

Intermediate its ends the body is fitted with upstanding transversely spaced can locating fingers 15 which are of spring metal and formed to engage opposite sides of a can IS with a symmetrical but easy fit.

In use, a can to be punctured is disposed on its side on body lengthwise thereof and between locating fingers l5; the finger 5 at such time being retracted, the trigger advanced, and the puncturing tube and sealing collar merely abutting the exterior of the end of the can H5. The operator then grasps the grip 2 of the device and squeezes the trigger toward such grip, which advances finger 5, together with the can I 6, toward and into forceful engagement with puncturing tube Hi. When this occurs the cutting lip H of the puncturing tube pierces through the end of the can. At the same time sealing collar I2 is firmly compressed against the end of the can and forms a complete seal with said end of the can about the tube, preventing leakage. When the can has been punctured, as above, the operator rotates locking eccentric 6, with his thumb until it frictionally engages the back of finger 5; such finger then being held in advanced position, as shown in Fig. 2, preventing the can I6 from backing away from the puncturing tube It].

When the can has been punctured as above, the pressure fluid contained in the can forcefully vents through puncturing tube I0 and pipe M; the operator directing such pipe into the produce chamber to be fumigated. It will be seen that the device functions as a fluid discharge pistol or gun, enabling the operator to manipulate the device with one hand and stay well clear of the discharging fluid.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can supporting and puncturing device comprising an elongated body, a rigid can puncturing tube mounted on the body adjacent one end and projecting toward the other end in spaced relation to said body, a hand grip depending from the body at said other end, a trigger pivoted on a transverse axis relative to the body and depending adjacent said hand grip, an upstanding finger on and projecting upwardly from said trigger, said finger being adapted upon swinging of the trigger toward the hand grip to move in a direction to engage and advance a can supported on the body between the puncturing tube and said finger, and a movable locking member mounted on the body and arranged to releasably engage said finger when the latter is disposed in can engaging and advanced position.

2. A can supporting and puncturing device, comprising an elongated body including a de pending hand grip at its rear end, a trigger disposed adjacent the hand grip, a can puncturing tube mounted on the body adjacent its forward end and projecting rearwardly in vertically spaced relation above the body, the body being slotted therethrough above the trigger, the upper end of the latter projecting into said slot, means pivoting the trigger in the slot, an upstanding finger formed on the trigger and projecting upwardly through the slot to a termination thereabove, said finger being adapted to engage and advance a can supported on the body into puncturing engagement with said tube, and a locking eccentric pivoted in the slot rearwardly of the finger, said eccentric being operative to releasably lock the finger in advanced position."

3. A can supporting and puncturing device comprising an elongated body, a rigid can puncturing tube mounted on the body adjacent one end and projecting toward the other end in spaced relation to said body, a hand grip depending. from the body at said other end, a trigger pivoted on a transverse axis relative to the body and depending adjacent said hand grip, an upstanding finger on and projecting upwardlyfrom said trigger, said finger being adapted upon swinging of the trigger toward the hand grip to move in a direction to engage and advance a can supported on the body between the puncturing tube and said finger, and a movable looking member mounted on the body and arranged to releasably engage said finger when the latter is disposed in can engaging and advanced position; said locking member comprising a circular eccentric pivoted on a transverse axis, said eccentric being positioned to releasably engage the portion of the finger opposite from the can-engaging portion of the latter.

WARD E. SNOWDEN. 

